Day 3

Day 3
We went to find the volcano that shut down Europe but we couldn't see it. The clouds were very low and we couldn't see the top of the foothills. We went to Skogfoss and then to Skogar folk museum and water fall. That was impressive, 380 steps to the top! This is a view from the bottom where the water from the glacier pours over the edge of the cliff into the river at the bottom.



This is the view of the cliff from the top 300+ steps later.

After this we went to the folk museum which was fascinating, a coach party of Icelandic OAP's came in and had a singsong around an instrument that looked like Seasick Steve's Diddley Bow. There was a real mixture of stuff from skrimshaw to mobile phones.




There was a large exhibit of nautical stuff including this boat which was in service until the middle of the last century.


Outside were some original grass roofed huts. which were very basic inside. Finally there was a transport section that boasted some of the oldest vehicles in Iceland. Most of the exhibits were covered in plastic sheets to keep out the volcanic dust that was everywhere.


Update to Day 3
We have just been down to the bar (where else) and we looked at the pool and it has turned a murky grey. Yesterday it was a brilliant blue. The barman told us it was the ash that has been washed down with the rain. They will have to drain the pools and clean them and start again or the caretaker will have to put on his Speedo's and Hoover it out. So what we thought was sand when we were driving today must have been ash. It is very fine and makes your hair feel sticky, very strange. Looking forward to better weather tomorrow when we hope to see another waterfall and geysir.

The night time photo

Day 2

Day 2
We went for walk this morning and the experience was surreal. We walked up the main street past the 'Geothermal Park' and up the hill towards all the steam which was coming out of the ground like something you see in a film about New York. As we walked up the slope we could see the steam but were amazed by the noise. It sounded like a boiling kettle and was really odd. The signs said don't go too close to the edge as the crust is thin and you could fall in!!!! The temperature of some of these pools has been measured at 300+ degrees, pressure I presume.

We saw this amazing site, a boiling mud pool making a lovely slurping noise. We didn't know how easy it was to find these amazing sites and only a walk away. The town is full of greenhouses growing bananas! All this heat is managed and used to make plant growing a key industry. The weather is good and we have both got slightly sunburned.






The area is covered with tiny plants that cling to these slopes and flourish as tiny spots of colour. We pay a fortune for these from garden centres and to see them in their natural habitat is amazing.
The view back to where we were staying was also pretty good.














This was the landscape we were in the middle of. It was very strange. The sound is the wierdest bit. You don't expect the sound of boiling, it is so close to the surface.















Then we found the church. Why can't we design and build things like this? It was awe inspiring. The whole place was so peaceful and beautiful.


















We went back to the geothermal park where there was a pipe that sounded like a foundry and frightened Jean so much that she ran past it!!!

Day 1

This is the first post from Iceland where we are spending the May/June school holiday.

Day 1
We flew from Manchester to Reykjavik via Glasgow on Icelandair. The flight was good apart from the landing in Iceland which was very bumpy. We had hired a car and were given a Suzuki Swift 4x4 which is very nice but very underpowered on the hills. The drive from the airport to the Hotel Orc (very Lord of the Rings) at Hverageroi, I don't know how to pronounce it but it is very nice being on a flat piece of land with a very hilly, thermal, backdrop. We went to the local pizza palour and had a nice pizza and watched the Eurovision song contest where the Icelandic entry was greated with raptourous applause and then it came nearly last. So Sad!!
The locals seem friendly but we will see.
Tomorrow we will explore the local area.